


What He Deserves

by GameMaster26



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: #shity writing is shit, American Aviators, Background Texas Toast, I hope, M/M, Sniper is depressed, Soldier is dumb, Soldier x Sniper, cute ship fic, have mercy on me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-01-24 03:53:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18563371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GameMaster26/pseuds/GameMaster26
Summary: Sniper has issues and Soldier is the only one dumb enough to bother him long enough to find out what's wrong. Set after Sniper finds out who his real parents are.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if this is any good have mercy on me.

“Where’s Snipes?”

The question hung in the air for many, long moments of silence, the dinner chatter coming to a sharp halt as the mercenaries glanced from Scout to each other slowly down the table until Soldier stood.

“I’ll go get him.” He said in way that said he wouldn’t be swayed. Not that anyone would try to argue. Everyone knew by now not to disturb Sniper in his camper or face a very grumpy bush man. But Soldier was the only one with enough social incompetence to attempt to remove the Aussie from his sanctuary, and sometimes, once in a blue moon, it actually worked.

Soldier left his plate with a chunk of meat still skewered on his fork, down the hall and out into the field behind the base were Sniper’s camper was parked just about 20 all American yards from the back door. No communist “18 meters” here, no sir!

Soldier half walked-half marched the distance from one door to the other and sharply knocked on the camper’s partly rusted door. “Sniper!” He called loudly, perhaps to loud, but it’s Soldier.

There was a brief rush of shuffling from inside and Sniper opened the door, looking down at Soldier. “Whatdya want?” He asked gruffly.

Soldier looked up at Sniper from under the low brim of his helmet and smiled broadly. “You’re late for dinner again and I came to get you!” He chirped enthusiastically.

Sniper sighed. “Not hungry.” He waved his hand dismissively.

Soldier’s grin slipped from his face. “But we missed you.” He said.

Sniper sighed. “I already ate.” He insisted.

Soldier looked into his eyes from under his helmet. He squinted slightly with a look of mild disbelief. Sniper broke eye contact, sweating slight. “I have an apple.” He mumbled.

Soldier’s helmet raised up slightly as his eyebrows moved to a shocked expression. “That is not an acceptable meal.” He said. Sniper just shrugged. Soldier frowned. “You need to eat private! And that’s an order!” Soldier was getting loud now. Sniper took a half step back from the volume of it. He knew Soldier wasn’t a threat to him but his heart still raced.

“Alright fine. I’ll be down in a while.” Sniper blurted, exasperated.

Soldier smiled, clearly pleased with himself. “Goodbye then.” He turned and walked away.

Sniper sighed and slowly shook his head.

===#===

Sniper walked into the kitchen a while later to find the rest of the mercs had cleared out and Soldier stirring a pot of stew. Sniper leaned on the doorway. "You cook?" He asked.

Soldier turned to him and laughed heartily, a sound that made Sniper smile faintly. "No no no." Soldier said, waving his free hand. "You wouldn't want me to cook you anything. Engi made this, I'm just keeping it warm." He explained, pouring a large bowl for Sniper.

Sniper chuckled and sat down at the table and Soldier put the bowl in front of him. He expected Soldier to leave once he did but instead he stayed and sat down. Sniper raised a brow. "Wot is it mate? Wots eatin' ya?" He asked.

Soldier frowned deeply. "I should ask you that."

Sniper straitened up, spoon half way to his mouth.

Soldier sighed. "I know something's wrong..." He mumbled, softer than Sniper had ever heard him.


	2. The Pin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soldier does his best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit longer chapter this time. The first one was kinda pathetic in length. Also I'm sorry if Soldier seems out of character here I don't write him much.

Sniper looked away. “What do you know?” He grumbled.

Soldier frowned. “Not much. But I know something isn’t right with you.” He said firmly.

Sniper sighed. “Look I don’t want to get into it…” He muttered, turning back to his stew and taking a few hearty spoonfulls, just to have something to use as an excuse to keep quiet.

Soldier looked at Sniper and watched him shovel food into his mouth. He knew something wasn’t right but he didn’t know what to do. Sniper didn’t want to talk and he didn’t know how to solve a problem he wasn’t told about. He wasn’t a damn mind reader! He sighed. “Was it something we did? Something we said?” He asked, face full of worry and desperately pulling at some answer. He must’ve fucked up somewhere and done something wrong. That was usually the answer to something like this.

Sniper looked up in almost alarm at the question. “No, no you didn’t do anything, mate. Nobody here did.” He insisted.

“Then tell me!” Soldier blurted. “I want to know so I can fix it!” He said loudly.

“It’s my bloody parents!” He yelled, slamming his fist into the table.

Soldier backed up slightly at the sudden outburst. “The New Zealand ones?” He asked.

Sniper rolled his eyes. “Yes the bloody New Zealand ones! Who else ya wanka?!” He growled.

Soldier looked away. He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly nervous. “Sorry…” He replied meekly.

Sniper sighed. “I just… I can’t believe those wankas are my parents.”

Soldier tilted his head slightly to the left. “What’d ya mean?” He asked.

Sniper growled slightly. “They’re bloody cowards who don’t care about anything or anyone other than themselves! Not even each other! Not even me…!” He told Soldier, the last sentence coming out as a whimper.

Soldier frowned. “That’s not true. You’re their son. They have to care about you.” He said.

Sniper rolled his eyes. “Clearly they don’t! They killed thousands of people with their own stupidity! They wanted to leave the other and me to die from a danger my bloody idoit father MADE UP!!! TWICE!!” He yelled. Soldier kept quiet. He didn’t know what to say or do and just rung his hands in his lap. Sniper sighed angrily. “And when I finally came back they abandoned me again! They’re selfish cowards! And that’s my bloody family! All the things you blokes say about me is true! It’s in my DNA!” He started to shake as if trying not to cry.

Soldier, without thinking, as usual, pulled him in for a tight hug. “That’s not true. None of those things are true! You’re not a coward! You’re a brave man who cheated death! Only the manliest and bravest of men can do something like that!” He yelled over Sniper’s shoulder.

Sniper bit his lip as a few tears slipped down his cheeks. “I am a coward… You know it, I know it, everyone knows it!” He insisted.

Soldier squeezed him tighter, not tight as he could, that would crush the poor guy, but a strong hug. “We don’t think of you that way. You’re amazing!” He told him.

Sniper pulled away and Soldier let him. “You’re sure?” He asked softly. Soldier nodded. Sniper sighed and looked down. “My family is a mess… Half missing and half dead!” He said.  
Soldier had a thought, a nugget of wisdom he remembered from a long time ago. “That’s not true.” He said. Sniper looked up and opened his mouth to rebuttal but it stuck in his throat as Soldier continued. “Your family isn’t just in your blood or who raised you. Your family is who cares about you and sticks with you. A family by choice is always stronger than a family by blood. Don’t forget that.” He said, beaming and looking proud of himself. “We’re not just a team here. We’re a family.” He said.

Sniper looked at him. “Where did that come from?” He asked, confused and knowing someone like Soldier didn’t come up with that on his own.

Soldier smiled. “My grandpa was a very wise man. He talked about wise things all the time.” He said.

Sniper nodded slowly. Soldier fiddled with something on his shirt. He pulled off a pin and held it in his palm. It looked chipped and worn, the design long lost to time and left only a vaguely red metal plate. “He always wore this pin. He told me it was a gift from someone who was like a brother to him, the greatest family he ever had before he met my grandma… He said it used to have a flame painted on it.” He placed it on the table. “I think he would want me to give it to someone I saw as family.” He told Sniper and moved to stand. “I’ll let you enjoy your dinner, I’ve annoyed you enough.” He said and walked out.

Sniper watched him walk out with a look of shock on his face.


	3. Lieutenant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pet the trash kitty

Sniper walked down the hall to Soldier’s room. It had been hours since they talked. He stood outside the door and bit his lip, old pin in hand, the other hovering inches from the door. He took a deep breath and knocked. There was a bit of noise before the sound of Soldier’s gravely voice came through the door. “Come in!” He called.

Sniper opened the door to see Soldier sitting crisscross on his bed with Lieutenant Bites in his lap. He was petting the racoon softly with a little smile on his face. The bed was covered in cat toys, little feathery things on strings and balls with bells inside them. Lieutenant Bites himself was chewing on a small parakeet shaped cat toy as he laid in Soldier’s lap, enjoying his love and pets.

Sniper stood there awkwardly for a few moments. Soldier smiled up at him. “Sit down, private. I have a good hold on him!” He said happily.

Sniper sat, and he sighed. He placed the old pin on the bed. “I can’t take your granddad’s pin mate…” He said softly.

Soldier tilted his head. “Why not?” He asked, pausing his petting of the Racoon and causing him to squeak grumpily. “I gave it to you for a reason. I want you to have it.” He said.

Sniper sighed. “I can’t take a bloke’s family heirloom mate!” He insisted.

Soldier frowned. “Why not?” He asked.

Sniper sighed again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. “Heirlooms are for giving to your kids. Not some random bloke you work with. I don’t matter.” He said.

Soldier frowned and Lieutenant Bites looked up at the two of them. “But you aren’t ‘some random bloke’, you’re part of this family and I care a lot about you- we care a lot about you.” He said quickly, face turning red at his cheeks and the tops of his ears.

Sniper found Soldier’s mimic of his accent a bit amusing but the slight awkwardness of the end half of the statement didn’t escape him. The two fell silent a few moments before Soldier looked at the pin again. “You don’t have to take it if you really don’t want to… But you shouldn’t say you don’t matter.”

Sniper sighed. “You’re one to talk. You wouldn’t know what it’s like to have everyone treat you like garbage for not meeting some stupid impossible standard!” he said.

Soldier frowned. “Maybe not but I know how it feels when people think you’re nothing but an idoit and they just… Give up on you.” He said sadly. They looked at each other with sidelong glances before looking away.

“Wanna pet him?” Soldier asked suddenly, after a few painful moments.

Sniper looked up. “Wot?”

Soldier gave Lieutenant Bites a few loving scritches behind the ears. “He likes his ears and chin scratched.” He explained. “Want to?” He asked.

Sniper hesitated. Last time he had been near that thing it had nearly ripped his hand off. But it seemed to have mellowed out now. It was a lot like Soldier right now, quieter and calmer than he had ever been. He smiled slightly. “Yea mate. I’ll see how he takes ta me.” He said.

Soldier beamed. “Stay by his head and don’t touch his tail at all. He hates it.” he explained. Sniper nodded and gently scratched the little trash panda’s head.

They both sat in silence again, petting Lieutenant Bites. They both seemed to come to the same conclusion in their minds. They needed to talk to Engi about this.


	4. Advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very sorry if this looks stupid and confusing I'm just trying something new.

Engineer didn’t know why it happened. All he knew was the talks with Sniper and Soldier were almost exactly the same. It was eerie.

Knock! Knock! Knock!  
Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Come in!”

“Hey there trucky.”  
“Hello Engi!”

“Howdy Pardner. What can I do for ya?”

“I want to talk...”  
“I need to talk to you.”  
“What about.”

“Soldier.”  
“Sniper.”

“What about him?”

“I... like him.”  
“I think I like him.”

“Oh really?”

“I don’t know how to tell him.”  
“But I don’t think he likes me.”

“Well you’ll just have to be honest.”

“I can’t.”  
“I... really can’t...”

“Why not?”

“I’m scared.”  
“I don’t want him to be mad.”

“You don’t have to worry. You just need to tell him the truth...”

“Ok... But please. Tell no one about this. Especially not him.”  
“I’ll try. But don’t tell him I talked to you!”

“I won’t. Honest.”

“Thanks, mate.”  
“Thank you, Engi.”

“You’re welcome, Pardner.”

Engi sighed, mind whirling. He felt like he had to say something or the two of them would never get the courage to confess to each other. He glanced over at Pyro who was sitting at a workbench and drawing something. He walked over to the bench and sat down. “Howdy there firebug.” He said with a smile.

Pyro looked up and held up the drawing. It was a picture of the two of them. Pyro’s artistic skills had improved a lot since Engi started encouraging them. But they sensed something was up with Engi and set the paper down, giving Engi a tight hug.

smiled at the gesture. “I need your help with somethin’.” He said. Pyro looked up. “I’m trying to decide something important. I don’t know whether I should keep a promise I made or try to help someone.” He explained.

Pyro muffled something to Engineer.

Engi sighed. “I figured you would say that. But I don’t think this will fix itself.” He mumbled.


End file.
